Not ready for prime-time musings on the weekend that was

As part of a long-standing tradition that dates back three weeks, I post the observations not considered worthy enough for the little space I'm given each Monday in the old-fashioned version of The Star.

THE DON CHERRY WATCH: So, just what the heck was that opening to Sunday's game between Detroit and Pittsburgh, the one that featured Don Cherry in a nauseating tasteful Pepto-Bismol pink jacket crossing the river in a motorboat, with comely maidens on each arm? It was supposed to be a takeoff on that Dos Equis guy, but kind of missed the mark. Who dreams up this stuff? And why? ... As stated here previously, Cherry usually does his best work in the playoffs when he can concentrate on hockey instead of all the other stuff. Note the emphasis on the word usually. Saturday night, the opening game of the most-anticipated clash of the hockey season, and what does Don feature in Coach's Corner? Tie Domi (or Dommy, as he calls him) donating money to a hospital. Nothing against Tie and kudos to him for his generosity, but what the heck does that have to do with the Stanley Cup final? Maybe the lack of goons in the series got Cherry a little homesick for one of his boys. ... Kudos to Cherry, by the way, for expressing his distaste for hunting Saturday night. ``How can anybody kill anything?" he asked. Don Cherry a deer-hugger. Who knew?

Here's Sunday's intro, if you really want to see it:

CUP CLASSICS: There we were, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final and it wasn't even June yet? What's going on here? ... During CBC's second intermission, Al Strachan and Scott Morrison sounded like they were talking from the dark side of the moon rather than a studio in Toronto. Where is CBC buying its headsets these days, WalMart? The cutbacks must be deeper than expected. ... When Strachan and Cherry went on indignantly about how hockey players don't take drugs, we can only assume they don't classify pseudoephedrine as a drug. ... New word: Craig Simpson credited a Detroit player with ``out-quicking" an opponent. ... Great job by CBC in isolating on the battle between Sidney Crosby and Henrik Zetterberg. ... Note to NBC's Pierre McGuire: Stop calling analyst Ed Olczyk ``Edso" during the broadcast. It sounds like high school.

SPORTS WITHOUT ICE: Rogers Sportsnet only did it once or twice on Sunday, but sticking in a mini-commercial between at-bats of the Blue Jays game is once or twice too many. If you need money that badly, why not asked the owners to raise the cable rates? ... What the cameras reveal about those sitting in the expensive field-level seats behind home plate at the Rogers Centre: They eat and awful lot and then apparently call their friends to tell them about it. ... TNT got some great audio of Cleveland Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy berating his players to show more energy at half-time of Saturday's game. ... The Toronto Argonauts have hired CP24's Adrian Downer to work as their in-stadium announcer this season. Please, oh please, don't make him be another guy who sounds like he was born to call monster-truck races.

Comments

[jet]

dude Van Gundy is the Orlando coach. Mike Brown is Clevelands coach

[Aaron K]

Hi Chris,
Stan Van Gundy, of course, is Orlando's coach. He was encouraging his troops to show more emotion despite the fact they had a big lead. His brother, Jeff, will be announcing the finals as part of ABC's three-man booth.

[Jason Cormier]

"Kudos to Cherry, by the way, for expressing his distaste for hunting Saturday night. ``How can anybody kill anything?" he asked."

Chris, I assume both you and Don Cherry are vegetarians.

[Pat MaGroin]

Adrian....WHO ?????

[Aaron]

I can't watch Cherry and Maclean any more, they make me want to barf.

[LOCKSTOCK93]

Hunting and eating meat are different in many ways. In the present context, Mike Babcock was discussing bear hunting which, i speculate, he doesn't do to fill his freezer.

[Tom Hallick]

The Argos are just following the trend of CFL teams by hiring TV/Radio people to do PA/In Stadium Announcing. Winnipeg has had a former radio guy calling it since 97. I've sat in on a couple of occasions and was hammered online after one game because allegedly I "changed the game experience" for about 20 drunks and they didn't like it because they were so used to the regular guy.

I'm not a newbie by any stretch as I've worked Bomber home games as Press-Box Announcer for years & also have done University & Junior Football too. But teams want TV/Radio people because of name recognition and not experienced people who can do the job better.

[Zaddups]

Don't you mean Nathan Downer...formerly of Global?
Just wondering. Oops.

http://www.argonauts.ca/index.php/article/cp24-s-nathan-downer-joins-argos-as-in-stadium-announcer